Collaborative Care

Collaborative Care integrates primary care and behavioral health to address problems associated with psychiatric illnesses being treated in primary care. Based on principles of effective chronic illness care, Collaborative Care focuses on defined patient populations tracked in a registry, measurement-based practice, and treatment to target. Trained PCPs and embedded behavioral health providers provide evidence-based psychosocial treatments and/or medication, supported by regular psychiatric case consultation and treatment adjustment for patients who are not improving as expected. The model consistently results in improved patient and provider satisfaction, improved functioning, and reductions in health care costs. Following a yearlong learning collaborative that supported implementation of Collaborative Care with seven federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), Community Care currently facilitates ongoing quarterly behavioral health focused learning sessions with these providers.